1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle data storage system, a vehicle data storage apparatus, a vehicle data storage server, and a vehicle data storage method, in which vehicle data obtained from a vehicle-mounted device is stored.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle, electronic control units supply control signals to actuators according to detection signals transmitted from sensors, thereby controlling vehicle-mounted devices such as an engine. The detection signals and the control signals are stored as vehicle data in a storage apparatus at given time intervals. For example, if an abnormality occurs, the vehicle data is also stored in each electronic control unit. All the vehicle data stored in the storage apparatus are not necessarily useful for analyzing an abnormality. Thus, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-145533 (JP-A-2000-145533) describes a technology in which vehicle data that should be stored is selected. More specifically, the publication No. 2000-145533 describes an electronic control unit for a vehicle, which sets the vehicle data that should be stored, according to a signal indicating a portion in which an abnormality occurs.
The vehicle data may include position data detected, for example, by a Global Positioning System (GPS). Therefore, there is a possibility that a third person determines activities of a vehicle user in the past, based on the position data stored in the storage apparatus. Thus, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-4378 (JP-A-2007-4378) describes a drive recorder that indicates the position data of the vehicle when an abnormality occurs using the position of the vehicle relative to a predetermined reference point. In the technology described in the publication No. 2007-4378, the absolute coordinate of the predetermined reference point is stored in, for example, a memory card that is different from the storage apparatus. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the activities of the vehicle user in the past only by the position data stored in the storage apparatus.
Japanese Patent Application Publication. No. 2004-192277 (JP-A-2004-192277) describes a technology in which a vehicle communicates with the outside via a cellular phone or a communication device on a road, and access to a storage apparatus from the outside is prevented. More specifically, the publication No. 2004-192277 describes a vehicle diagnostic system in which an access permission condition for permitting the access to the storage apparatus is set, and it is determined whether the access to the storage apparatus from the outside should be permitted, based on the access permission condition.
In general, specifications of vehicles for each country are determined, and the vehicles with the specifications for each country are manufactured. However, although the vehicles with the specifications for each country are manufactured and shipped, the specifications of the vehicles may not necessarily comply with requirements in the country where the vehicles travel, for example, in Europe where the vehicles frequently cross a national boundary. For example, because the above-described vehicle data (particularly the position data) is similar to personal data, the law in each country generally stipulates how to handle the vehicle data. However, the laws in different countries do not necessarily stipulate that the vehicle data should be handled in the same manner. That is, the vehicle data, which is legally permitted to be stored in one country, may not be legally permitted to be stored in the other country into which the vehicle moves after crossing a national boundary. Also, according to the laws in some countries, the vehicle data is prohibited from being stored in association with an individual, regardless of type of the vehicle data to be stored.
Therefore, although the drive recorder described in the publication No. 2007-4378 makes it difficult to determine the absolute position of the vehicle, the drive recorder does not necessarily comply with the law. Also, because the vehicle diagnostic system described in the publication No. 2004-192277 determines whether the access should be permitted after the vehicle data is stored, on the assumption that the vehicle data is stored, it may be determined that the vehicle diagnostic system has inappropriate specifications in some countries.
It is conceivable to follow the severest law among laws concerning the handling of personal data in different countries. However, if the vehicle data that should be stored are limited, the vehicle data useful for analyzing an abnormality may not be stored. This may greatly reduce the usefulness of the storage apparatus. In the technology described in each of the publication No. 2007-4378 and the publication No. 2004-192277, consideration is not given to the possibility that laws in different countries stipulate that the vehicle data should be stored in different manners.